Even before the floor opened to the public today, when only press and business badge holders were…
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This crowd, spilling out and around the edges of Sega's booth for a presentation, is one of the biggest we've ever seen at the Tokyo Game Show.

Which may sound like a testament to the pull of Sega, but in reality, it's bananas like this in all kinds of places (Konami especially, pictured left), with crowds looking like they'll be some of, if not the biggest this show has ever seen.

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Leading many here this week to ponder: where is this disconnect coming from? Why are companies scaling back their presence at this show while more and more people flock to see them?

The two best explanations we've heard (or maybe even come up with ourselves) follow: that either everyone but Sony gave up because they knew the Vita would steal the show, or that this is a temporary blip caused the current global economic downturn (which has hit Japan especially hard).

Whichever it is, mood on the street is that things will inevitably be bigger next year to accommodate the crowds.